Any updates on this choice? From what I read, the Sheraton appears to have been renovated since this initial batch of replies.

Am I correct in seeing from various Toronto Parking sites, and Google, that much cheaper parking is right across the street from the Sheraton?

Yes, there is a public parking lot directly across the street from the Sheraton, and is even connected via the underground pathway. IIRC, parking in that lot was about $14-15/day, as opposed to the valet-only $40/day at the Sheraton.

I've only been to Toronto once, and I stayed at the Sheraton. I was thoroughly impressed with my stay. Upgraded to a Junior Suite on the 40th floor with amazing views of the city. Really nice lounge with amazing views as well. Lots of great restaurants, bars, etc. within walking distance. Would definitely stay there again.

The Sheraton is in a much nicer location vs the Westin. There's nothing unsafe about the Westin; it's just rather dead down there. On the plus side, the Westin can have nice views if you're on the south side of the building and it's a short walk to Harbourfront which is pleasant even in winter. There's a streetcar stop right outside the Westin that will get you quickly to Union Station which leads to many other transit options. And of course, it's a Westin so you'll get the Heavenly Sleep bed and the White Tea soaps etc.

The renovated rooms in the Sheraton are decent - nothing hugely special but they're nice enough. If you need parking, you're better off parking under City Hall. (The parking options near the Westin are rather limited and not worth the effort IMHO.) The breakfast in the Sheraton lounge is strictly a continental affair but it's adequate. The view from up there is one of the nicer ones in the city so be sure to take a moment of pause to enjoy it. And depending on where you really need to be, direct PATH access can be awesome. (But if you've never done PATH, you'll likely get a little lost.) During the week, at daytime PATH will be very busy. In the evenings it gets very quiet and on weekends it's a ghost town down there.

One potential downside to the Sheraton is that it's a large convention hotel. So it can be very busy at times depending on what's going on. The convention spaces below the Sheraton are some of the largest in Toronto. If there's a big one going on, you'll have to put up with large crowds, longer waits for elevators and more people in the various hotel restaurants. It's nothing insurmountable, but it's something to be aware of.

The Sheraton is in a much nicer location vs the Westin. There's nothing unsafe about the Westin; it's just rather dead down there. On the plus side, the Westin can have nice views if you're on the south side of the building and it's a short walk to Harbourfront which is pleasant even in winter. There's a streetcar stop right outside the Westin that will get you quickly to Union Station which leads to many other transit options. And of course, it's a Westin so you'll get the Heavenly Sleep bed and the White Tea soaps etc.

The renovated rooms in the Sheraton are decent - nothing hugely special but they're nice enough. If you need parking, you're better off parking under City Hall. (The parking options near the Westin are rather limited and not worth the effort IMHO.) The breakfast in the Sheraton lounge is strictly a continental affair but it's adequate. The view from up there is one of the nicer ones in the city so be sure to take a moment of pause to enjoy it. And depending on where you really need to be, direct PATH access can be awesome. (But if you've never done PATH, you'll likely get a little lost.) During the week, at daytime PATH will be very busy. In the evenings it gets very quiet and on weekends it's a ghost town down there.

One potential downside to the Sheraton is that it's a large convention hotel. So it can be very busy at times depending on what's going on. The convention spaces below the Sheraton are some of the largest in Toronto. If there's a big one going on, you'll have to put up with large crowds, longer waits for elevators and more people in the various hotel restaurants. It's nothing insurmountable, but it's something to be aware of.

Agree with your assessment.

Maybe this is just coming from the Doubletree (where elevator wait times are extraordinary... had to plan in 15 extra minutes in the mornings) downtown, I found the Sheraton elevators to be pretty quick.

They have two banks of elevators (three if you count the Richmond tower bank on the other side of the hotel). Each bank serves half the floors (I think 1-25, and then 25-43) so it's never a terribly long wait, though yes, it can get crowded if there is a convention group in town.

I've stayed at both these hotels many times and echo the comments here. The Sheraton was a bit of a dive for a while until the renovations. The gym is top shelf and so is the club lounge. The Westin is nice for escaping DT in busy times and enjoying the lake view in the nicer months/days, however the hotels is quite old and feels like an old westin. I have never gotten a suite or anything resembling an upgraded room at Sheraton and find the rooms a tad claustrophobic. The new renovations are nice though and it is well situated in the path for meetings, etc. +1 on parking in the City Hall lot, the valet is a ripoff and madness.

The Sheraton is in a much nicer location vs the Westin. There's nothing unsafe about the Westin; it's just rather dead down there. On the plus side, the Westin can have nice views if you're on the south side of the building and it's a short walk to Harbourfront which is pleasant even in winter. There's a streetcar stop right outside the Westin that will get you quickly to Union Station which leads to many other transit options. And of course, it's a Westin so you'll get the Heavenly Sleep bed and the White Tea soaps etc.

The renovated rooms in the Sheraton are decent - nothing hugely special but they're nice enough. If you need parking, you're better off parking under City Hall. (The parking options near the Westin are rather limited and not worth the effort IMHO.) The breakfast in the Sheraton lounge is strictly a continental affair but it's adequate. The view from up there is one of the nicer ones in the city so be sure to take a moment of pause to enjoy it. And depending on where you really need to be, direct PATH access can be awesome. (But if you've never done PATH, you'll likely get a little lost.) During the week, at daytime PATH will be very busy. In the evenings it gets very quiet and on weekends it's a ghost town down there.

One potential downside to the Sheraton is that it's a large convention hotel. So it can be very busy at times depending on what's going on. The convention spaces below the Sheraton are some of the largest in Toronto. If there's a big one going on, you'll have to put up with large crowds, longer waits for elevators and more people in the various hotel restaurants. It's nothing insurmountable, but it's something to be aware of.

I've stayed at both many times and agree with this. However I have found the Sheraton to be wildly inconsistent, with stays ranging from great to complete disaster. Unfortunately, complaints to management are basically ignored. After my last stay I vowed to never return. (Marriott options make it even easier).

Also, as has been mentioned, the Sheraton can get quite busy and congested, so it can be hard to get elevators, seats in the lounge, up & down to the pool, etc...

My last stay last summer at the Westin was outstanding. We were contacted in advance by some some kind of in-house concierge, upgraded to a lovely suite, and were greeted with welcome gifts in our room for the kids. The pool area was very nice and while the rooftop restaurant was over-priced with pretentious service, room service was excellent.

All things being equal, I'd stay at the Westin. With the advent of the Air Canada Centre, you can access the PATH quite easily with a sort walk, and in the summer the waterfront location can't be beat.

Parking at City Hall across the street from the Sheraton is about half the cost of valet parking, but be forewarned there are no in & out privileges.